On Sunday, the 20th of December, the youth group from the archdiocese of Utrecht together with the community of Sant’Egidio Apeldoorn organizes a christmas gathering.

With the theme for the following World Youth Day in Krakow, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy”, we want to bring the vulnerable people in our society to our midst.

The community of Sant’Egidio organizes in several places in the world Christmas meals for the poorest of the society. In Apeldoorn this Christmas meal will take place on the 20th of December.

The day begins at 10.00 with a Eucharistic celebration in the church of ‘Kerk Onze Lieve Vrouw Tenhemelopneming’, situated in Hoofdstraat 18, Apeldoorn (next to the Apeldoorn’s NS station) with the gathering and lunch. This will be followed by an introduction about mercy and the meaning of Christmas.
After that there will be 4 interesting activities, that you can choose from:

Organization of the Christmas dinner for the poorest, in collaboration with and under the guidance of the Sant’Egidio Apeldoorn community;

Movie about the St. John Paul II (this activity last the whole afternoon);

Year of Mercy (How can you specifically get started in the Holy Year of Mercy) and also making a Christmas centerpiece for the dinner of the poorest;

Deep dive in the Youcat (Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church) and making of Christmas cards for the poor.

You are most welcome to join the collection of clothes for the poor and also to bring gifts that you want to give to the homeless, without any obligation.
During this gathering there is space for socializing and faith deepening. The party will be closed with a Christmas dinner, where it is possible to help with the service, where, if you so wish, you will serve our guests (homeless and poor families) with respect and friendship.
We ask a contribution of 5 EUR per person for this day. You can register until the 16th December via the e-mail address jongerenpastoraat@aartsbisdom.nl, by telephone 06-48459598/06-28448875 or via Facebook: ‘Jong Aartsbisdom‘.

The program will be the following:

10.00 Eucharistic celebration
11.30 Get the know each other
11.30 Lunch (self brought)
13.00 Introduction about Sant’Egidio and the works of Mercy
13.45 Choose activity round I:

Sant’Egidio and works of Mercy (Christmas dinner organization);

Year of Mercy and also making a Christmas centerpiece for the dinner of the poorest;

Deep dive in the Youcat (Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church) and making of Christmas cards for the poor;

Movie about the St. John Paul II (this activity last the whole afternoon).

As we are preparing for the coming of Jesus into our hearts, we cannot close our eyes in front of the on-going conflicts in countries around us.
Let us come together and put all those conflicts into the hands of the Prince of Peace.

You are welcome to join us for this special prayer. Would you like to put on a piece of paper the conflicts you are praying for and bring it with you on the 16th of December?